Control and Lifetime Assessment of a Bidirectional EV Charger with Reactive Power Support

Marcelo V. Santos; Mateus A. Ferreira; João V. M. Farias; Erick M. S. Brito

doi:10.18618/REP.e202639

Authors

Marcelo V. Santos Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais
Mateus A. Ferreira Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3955-5981
João V. M. Farias Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0805-6503
Erick M. S. Brito Universidade Federal de Viçosa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8208-9173

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.e202639

Keywords:

Bidirectional charger, electric vehicles, voltage sag compensation, reliability analysis

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of reactive power support on the reliability of a bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charger operating as a grid support asset. A 50 kW charger composed of a three phase VSI rectifier, an isolated dual active bridge converter, and a bidirectional DC-DC stage is considered. A reactive power control strategy is implemented to provide voltage support during grid voltage sags while maintaining battery charging operation under a CC--CV profile. The proposed control system is validated through simulations and experimental tests performed on the grid-side converter. In addition, a reliability assessment is carried out for the VSI IGBTs and DC-link capacitors using electrothermal modeling, lifetime models, Rainflow cycle counting, and Monte Carlo analysis. The results show that reactive power injection contributes to voltage support during sag events but increases the thermal stress imposed on the power semiconductors. For the investigated mission profiles, the provision of reactive power support significantly reduces the lifetime of the IGBT modules, whereas the impact on the DC-link capacitors remains limited. The presented results highlight the trade-off between ancillary service provision and converter lifetime, providing useful insights for the design and operation of bidirectional EV charging infrastructure.

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Author Biographies

Marcelo V. Santos, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais

received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Centro Universitário Católica do Leste de Minas Gerais (UNILESTE-MG), Coronel Fabriciano, Brazil, in 2020, and the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, with a research focus on Control Systems, from the Federal Center of Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2026. He currently serves as a Professional Education Instructor at SENAI Minas Gerais, where he works in the fields of electrical and electronic systems, instrumentation, and industrial automation. He is also a researcher with the Power Systems Specialists Management Research Group (GESEP) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. His research interests include power electronics, electric mobility, control systems, industrial automation, and technologies applied to electric power systems.

Mateus A. Ferreira, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais

received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas), Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2012, and the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, with emphasis on Power System Planning and Operation, from the Federal Center of Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2018. From 2014 to 2016, he was a Substitute Professor at CEFET-MG. Between 2016 and 2019, he worked as an Instructor at SENAI Minas Gerais. Since 2019, he has been with the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Minas Gerais (IFMG), Ibirité Campus, where he has served as a Professor of Basic, Technical, and Technological Education (EBTT). He currently coordinates the Technical Course in Electrotechnics and is a member of the Research Group on Automation and Renewable Energy Technologies (GETAER). His research interests include power system protection, power quality, renewable energy systems, photovoltaic generation, and industrial automation.

João V. M. Farias, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais

received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil, in 2018, M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal Center of Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2019 and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2023. He worked as a research associate in the Chair of Power Electronics at Christian-Albrechts-Universitat zu Kiel (CAU) between 2021-2022. Between 2022-2023, he worked as a research associate at the Fraunhofer-Institut fur Siliziumtechnologie. Between 2024-2025, he worked as an assistant professor at the Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI). He is currently an assistant professor at CEFET-MG in the area of control and automation. His main research interests include multilevel modular converters, reliability of power electronics and electrical vehicles. He received the Brazilian Power Electronics Society (SOBRAEP) Ph.D. Thesis Award in 2024. Also, he is currently a board member of the SOBRAEP.

Erick M. S. Brito, Universidade Federal de Viçosa

received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering and the M.S. degree in agricultural engineering from the Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil, in 2014 and 2016, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2021. From 2023 to 2024, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, Toulouse, France, working at LAPLACE Laboratory in the subject of the integration of BESS-based power electronic converters to railway electrification lines. Since 2019, he has been with the Federal University of Viçosa, as a Professor of electrotechnical courses. His main research interests include renewable energy conversion systems with a focus on photovoltaics, smart battery energy storage systems, power quality, and reliability of power electronics. He is a member of the Brazilian Power Electronics Society (SOBRAEP).

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